Dead Woman Walking
by LoveDoesHurt
Summary: Victoria Morgan was tired of men making choices for her - that ended the moment people started eating each other. It should've been easy, except she didn't count on Shane Walsh.
1. Preface

Men.

 _"I know you're in there. I know you can hear me."_

Victoria's life always revolved around the choices of men.

 _"Please, we're desperate. Please help us."_

When she graduated from the Police Academy, her father looked down at her for joining "the man, man."

 _"We have women, children, no food, hardly any gas left."_

The Police Chief handed her promotion to her male colleague, said she was too emotional to make detective.

 _"We have nowhere else to go!"_

The divorce papers cited she was a workaholic, uninterested in having children.

 _"If you don't let us in you're killing us! You're killing us!"_

Sheriff Rick Grimes was no different. And neither was Shane Walsh. They were just two men fighting over who made the decisions.

Victoria should've known better to get involved but...

That wasn't her choice either.


	2. Chapter 1

The lobby was as pristine as Victoria remembered it, only now it was much darker - the only light source was the fluorescent bulb over the reception desk, flickering with an incessant _thrum_ \- and felt cavernous without all the hustle and bustle.

Victoria counted twelve survivors entering the lobby, two small children included, they all looked absolutely wrecked.

Her footsteps echoed like gunshots against the grand marble steps. The survivors visibly jumped before they saw her, approaching from the shadows above them.

Victoria holstered her pistol and raised her hands, silently praying they weren't going to shoot her.

"Any of you infected?"

"One of our group was," The man dressed like a Sheriff answered, his Georgian twang coated with remorse, "he didn't make it."

"The CDC isn't what you think is is anymore" She announced, her arms still raised as she descended further down the steps, "There's no more doctors, no more military, there's just two of us left." Victoria allowed a moment for it to sink in. The survivors deflated, some of them even shot the Sheriff a dirty look like it was fault. "What do you want?"

"A chance."

A crackling came over the intercom, "You'll submit to a blood test."

The group startled again, looking around wildly for the phantom voice.

Fucking Jenner, with all the bedside manner of Frankenstein. Victoria released a long suffering sigh, "That's Edwin Jenner. What he says, goes."

Without hesitating, the Sheriff lowered his revolver. The rest followed, albeit without his confidence. It was clear who was the leader among them - Sheriff uniform aside.

"We can do it."

The intercom crackled again, "Get your things if you have them outside, once those doors shut, they stayed sealed."

The survivors sprang into action, bolting back through the doors to an RV parked behind the military blockade.

It was dark outside already.

Victoria hasn't been this close to the outside since everything went to shit but nothing changed; smoke still billowed in the distance as Atlanta burned, the rotting bodies were still piled by the doors, and there was still evidence of picketers scattered behind the blockade.

Victoria was more than happy to shut the doors behind the last survivor, the undead howling was getting too close for comfort - those survivors were much braver than she.

"VI, deal the main entrance and shut down the power up here." And just like that, the main shutters fell over the doors again.

The Sheriff approached her first. He was handsome, Victoria couldn't help but to notice, like a cowboy with striking blue eyes. He was relieved, all the survivors were, but the Sheriff's eyes didn't hold any suspicion in them like the others.

"Rick Grimes."

She stared at the offered hand, surprised by the manners of forgotten civilization. "Victoria Morgan." She introduced, giving his hand a firm shake, "Welcome to the CDC."

The group followed her back up the stairs she approached from, into an elevator that was a tight squeeze.

It was a silent ride until the hick clutching his crossbow spoke up gruffly, "Doctors always go around packing heat like that?"

Mindlessly, Victoria patted her holster - it was still there. "Only around strangers with guns pointed at her, man." She paused, realizing how hostile that sounded, "But you all seem harmless enough." With a glance over her shoulder, she noticed they weren't paying attention to her.

They were slumped against each other, exhausted and obviously trying to take everything in. Except the young boy pressed against his mother, he watched Victoria with wide, curious eyes.

She caught his eye and winked, "Except you, I'll have to keep my eye on you."

He flashed a toothy smile at her and when Victoria looked up, his mother was grinning at her too.

They seemed like good people, hopefully after a warm meal and a good nights sleep, everyone would feel a little more human in the morning.

After a relatively uncomfortable ride, Victoria led them through a dimly lit hallway. She would take them to Jenner, despite not agreeing with him. Whatever he needed the blood for, couldn't it wait until morning?

"Are we underground?" Asked the mother of the young girl.

"A few hundred miles, give or take." Victoria estimated, glancing over her shoulder as the woman cringed, "Are you claustrophobic?"

"A little."

"You forget about it once you've been down here long enough. Try not to think about it. VI, bring up the big room lights."

Stark fluorescents illuminated the big room, which was a large platform suspended off the ground, holding a series of desks, monitors, computers, and above that, a theatre-sized projection screen faced them.

Once, it was the heart and soul of the CDC but now, it was just used as a place to check the security cameras or the radio - both offered nothing but static.

"Where is everybody?" Rick questioned, following Victoria up the platform, "The doctors, the staff?"

Victoria leaned against the messy console she claimed and crossed her arms, "I was being serious when I said it was just two of us, man."

At once, the entire group deflated.

"What about the other person you were speaking with?" Asked the boy's mother, " VI?"

"VI, say hello to our guests."

"Hello, guests." A robotic, feminine voice drones over the loudspeakers.

"She's just A.I." Victoria explained to them, her lips curling at their bewildered expressions, "Yeah, it takes a little to get used to it."

"I'll take it from here, Victoria." Dr. Jenner announced, making his presence know at the bottom of the platform, "Welcome to Zone Five."

Victoria was surprised to find Edwin looking worse for ware. He was usually to well kempt, it was strange to see him in wine-stained pyjamas and windswept.

"Follow me, we'll do the blood tests now. VI, bring up the lights in the conference room."

Victoria watched the group file out behind Jenner. For whatever reason Jenner wanted those tests immediately, it wasn't right. Those people were so out of it already, what the hell was he playing at?

"Ain't ya' comin'?"

She turned back around, surprised to find a shotgun wielding survivor lingering behind.

He was another handsome man, tall and rugged, with a crooked nose and nice cheekbones, except something about him didn't sit right with Victoria - the sour curl of his lips, maybe, or the way of he stared, sharp and calculating.

"Nah." She mindlessly adjusted the straps of her holster, giving him a better view of the heat strapped to her chest, "Jenner doesn't need me slowing him down, man, I was in the middle of dinner anyways." She smirked as he visibly perked, relaxing for a snap moment before remembering himself and scowling.

"I bet a home cooked meal sounds pretty good, huh?"

He narrows his eyes and, briefly, she felt totally scrutinized by the surly survivor, except she realized what he was doing - she knew the probing glare of an Officer when she saw one.

"This is all... very kind of you." He finally drawled, his southern twang coated in suspicion.

Victoria flashed him an award winning smile, "Take it while it comes, Mr...?"

" _Deputy Sheriff_ Shane Walsh."

She could clock'em from miles. Victoria offered her hand, "Detective Morgan, Atlanta PD."

With a surprisingly gentle touch, Shane shook her hand. The suspicion in his face remained but slackened a little.

"You should catch up with your friends, just mention to Jenner what I said about a meal."

He nodded, and just like that, Shane Walsh disappeared through the doors with the rest of his group.

Over her shoulder, on the other side of the room, a giant red clock continued to count down the remaining 12 hours.


	3. Chapter 2

After giving a vial of blood each, the survivors stumbled into the cafeteria where Victoria was preparing dinner - spaghetti, the only thing she could cook pre-apocalypse.

Eager to help, the women introduced themselves to her; Lori, Carol, Jacqui and Andrea.

Lori was Rick's wife and their son was the young boy, Carl. And the other child belonged to Carol, her name Sophia. Jacqui seemed like a sweet woman and Andrea didn't say much, but the sour pull of her lips said enough.

Then, while she helped push tables together, Victoria learned the names of the remaining men; Daryl, Glenn, T-Dog and Dale.

Daryl was the hick with a crossbow and Glenn was the young Asian man, quiet but eager to please. T-Dog's large form towered over hers but he never stopped cracking jokes long enough for Victoria to notice and Dale was eldest survivors, with kind eyes and a sharp tongue.

A whole new atmosphere encompassed the room once dinner was served with an endless supply of wine. And if Victoria closed her eyes, she could pretend everything was okay for a moment - except the world was still crazy and Jenner was still avoiding her.

Dale took it upon himself to pour everybody wine, he even graciously topped off Victoria's before anyone else.

"You know in Italy, children have a little wine with dinner."

Lori took the wine Dale offered and shook her head, "Well, when Carl is in Italy or France, he can have some then."

"What's it gonna hurt?" Rick looked up from his heaping portion of pasta with a laugh - he looked so young when he was smiling - and met Lori's eyes over the boys head. "Come on." He flashed a boyish grin, "Come on!"

Lori gave in with a shrug and nodded to Dale with an amused chuckle.

Everyone watched as the boy took a sip of red wine then shoved the cup away like it repulsed him.

"Ew!" He bemoaned, "That tastes nasty!"

Lori nodded as she poured the finger of wine into her own glass. "That's my boy."

"Well, just stick to soda pop there, bud" Shane muttered from the other side of the bench.

Deputy Walsh had yet to join in on the festivities. Victoria noticed how his eyes always found their way back to the Sheriffs family but almost always Lori, who bent over backwards to avoid meeting Shane's gaze.

"Not you, Glenn!" Daryl shouted, pointing at the man.

"What?" Glenn giggled, pressing a wine bottle to his chest as he looked up at everyone.

Pouring himself another glass, Daryl smirked, "Keep drinking, little man. I wanna see how red your face can get."

With another round of laughter, Rick turned his attention to Victoria. She was sitting at the bench behind them, picking the label off the wine bottle, her dinner untouched.

The Sheriff stood, tapping his knife against his wine glass until everybody silenced. "It seems to me we haven't thanked our host properly."

T-Dog lifted his bottle and loudly slurred, "She's more than just out host!"

"Here, here!" "Here's to you, Doc!" _"Booyah!"_ _"Booyah!"_

"So, when are you gonna tell us what the hell happened here?" Shane shot over all the drunken cheering. "All the, the doctors that were supposed to be figuring out what happened. Where are they?"

Rick sat back down and glared at his friend. "We're celebrating, Shane, don't need to do this now."

"Whoa." Shane held up a hand, "Wait a second, this is why we're here right? This was _your_ move - supposed to find all the answers. Instead," He chuckled and thrust his thumb in Victoria's direction, "we find them. Why? You know that the hell's going on here, Detective?"

The survivors silenced at his accusing tone, turning their attention to Victoria as she sighed.

"Nothing you don't already know. I wasn't here to like, figure out what was causing this shit storm. I was just... lucky?" Victoria winced, that wasn't quite the right word. "I guess, to know the right people."

"The right people?" Andrea repeated.

"That's..." Victoria licked her lips, the words got caught in her throat. "That's not... important."

Shane sat back, fixating her with a glare, "Where is everyone?"

Not one to back down, Victoria glared back. "Well, dude, when we realized things weren't getting better, people started leaving, went off to be with their families and shit, which I'm sure you can understand."

"Every last one?"

"No." Victoria took a gulp of wine before continuing dryly, "What was left, couldn't face walking out the door." She looked away from the horrified survivors as she murmured to herself, "We lost a lot of good people then."

Andrea didn't miss a beat. "You and Jenner didn't leave."

But Victoria already turned her back on them, drinking straight out of the bottle this time.

"Dude," Glenn whined at Shane, "You are such a buzzkill, man"

* * *

It was clear dinner was over after that. Once the mess hall was cleaned, and after Victoria regained her composure, she offered to show them their rooms.

"Most of facility is powered down, including housing, so you'll have to make due here. The couches are comfortable but there are cots in the storage. My rooms is the last door to the right." She glanced down to the children, "We have lots of books and puzzles and games, but don't plug in the video games, okay?"

Carl and Sophia eagerly nodded.

"Or anything that drains power." Victoria added to the adults. "By all means, go ahead and take a shower but don't, like, use all the hot water."

Encouraged by hot water, the survivors eagerly claimed their rooms while Victoria wandered back to the control room.

Most of her time was spent there. Her room was used for the occasional shower after one too many days sitting in front of the monitors - these days, all she did was wait for someone to answer her on the emergency radio.

But Jenner was already sitting there, sitting at her station with his nose in a pile of papers.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking?"

Jenner sighed as Victoria stomped up the platform.

"These people, man, they don't deserve this." She pointed at the timer with a scowl, "That's a problem, don't you think?"

"I couldn't leave them out there, Victoria. You heard them"

"So they'll die down here, instead?"

Jenner swiveled the chair to face her. "Do you know what happened today? I dropped something in the lab and it caused a full decontamination of test subject nineteens samples." He chuckled, a sharp sound void of humor. "It set fire to the lab."

"You-"

"Set fire to the last samples we had, yeah." Jenner shrugged, "Game over."

Victoria pinched the bridge of her nose, it explained a lot. "Jesus Jenner. So you decided to play god with these survivors to, like, what? Lessen your guilt for fucking up?"

"I did what I had to." Jenner spun around back around, tapping on the keyboard until the monitor blinked on. "I have to check the rest of these blood labs."

Victoria scoffed at his blatant denial. "Dude, you better pray those people are as friendly as they look tomorrow."

With that, she turned around and hurried back to her room - whatever happened tomorrow was _his_ problem now.

* * *

"What the hell..."

There was an imposing figure leaning against her door when she returned.

It was Shane, she realized. He was braced against her door with his head hung, his shirt buttoned all the way down - he was tan and very, very muscular- and holding one side of his face.

As Victoria got closer, she could smell the bitter scent of alcohol and blood in the air.

"Are you... are you bleeding?" She tugged at the hand holding his face but Shane was as strong as he appeared, even while drunk. "Listen to me, man, I don't care what happened. I just want to make sure you're okay." She wrapped both hands over his much larger one, "Let me help."

As Victoria pried Shane's hand away from his face, it became clear what was wrong; he had three, fresh scratches down the side of his neck and jaw.

They weren't bleeding too badly, she considered sending him away but by the dark glint behind his exhausted eyes, Victoria thought better of it - who knows what would happen if she let him drunkenly stumble back to whoever did this?

Victoria half carried, half dragged Shane into her room and let him drop unceremonious onto her bed before grabbing the first aid kid from the bathroom. When she returned, she found him on his back with his face scrunched into a grimace.

"You gonna tell me what happened?"

"I ain't."

Victoria sat next to him and went to work on disinfecting the cuts - she knew it was better to let it go but the detective inside couldn't let the case go unsolved.

"I don't really care about your drama - sorry, this will sting - but I will say, a blind man would see the tension between you and Rick."

Shane clenched his jaw. "He was dead."

Her hands stilled over his stubble, "What?"

"He was shot while we were on duty before things went to shit, was in a coma when we left Atlanta."

Victoria continued to work, humming along as he continued.

"Let me tell you something, he was dead. I put my ear to his chest - dead. What was I supposed to think? I took care of Lori and Carl. I got them out of the city, I made sure they were taken care of. Then Rick stumbles back from the dead and sudden he's Sheriff Grimes again. He makes the decisions and they follow him blindly, all of them, they don't even question it.

He's put Lori and Carl, _all_ of us in danger since he came back. They were safe with me - _dammit,_ we were happy without him." Shane watched the woman's lip curl into a disbelieving frown. "We were. I made Lori and Carl happy. Then _he_ came back and ruined it." With wide, sad eyes that reminded Victoria of a big puppy, Shane murmured, " I ain't the bad guy here. I ain't."

Victoria had an inkling he wasn't telling her everything - it sounded like he taking care of Lori in a way her husband wouldn't approve of - but she didn't want to press, especially while he wasn't sober. It wasn't right by the books, or right morally either.

"All done." She told him, adhering the last butterfly bandage. "You got some balls, dude. That's like, his family he turned to against all odds."

"I know." He growled, baring teeth, " _I know._ "

"But," Victoria continued, patting his cheek, "it sounds like they didn't appreciate you. You kept them alive and safe and shit, but they're following this stranger blindly cause he has a badge." She closer to first aid kit and stood, "Are you too drunk to go find your room?"

He grunted but otherwise didn't move.

"You better be on the couch when I get out of the shower."


	4. Chapter 3

As it turned out, Shane wasn't much of a bed mate. He slept on top of the blankets but still managed to hog them and, if that wasn't enough, he snorted like a bear during hibernation.

Victoria barely slept a wink, bed mate notwithstanding.

Every time she closed her eyes she saw red _\- it ran like rivers across the blockage, squelched under her boots as she ran. It stuck under nails, stained her hair, she could still smell the sick stench of pennies in the hot summer air._

Victoria gathered herself, combing her fingers through her hair. She didn't need to think about _that_ now _._

She changed, pulling on the same jeans and plain white t-shirt from the day before, and left a few painkillers on the nightstand for Shane -although, he deserved the hangover.

Victoria couldn't stop thinking about it. He was clearly in love with Lori, it would explain the longing looks and why she avoided him like the plague. But did Lori feel the same way or was she using him?

Victoria shook her head, it wasn't her job to play detective anymore. It just wasn't any of her business.

* * *

Powered eggs. Teriyaki jerky. Instant coffee, two sugars, hold the cream.

Just like yesterday, and the day before that, and the last sixty-one days before that, Victoria went to the cafeteria for breakfast.

She was surprised to find the other survivors already there, enjoying a feast of bacon and eggs - except Glenn, who was groaning into his breakfast instead.

Victoria made a beeline for the coffee, announcing herself with a soft, "Morning."

The survivors drawled their greetings halfhearted, still feeling the aftermath of their celebrating.

"Hey!" T-dog said from behind the stove. "Hope you don't mind." He lifted a sizzling frying pan with a toothy smile, exposing the gap between his teeth.

"Help yourself, dude." Victoria poured herself a cup of coffee, jerking her head towards Glenn, "He okay?"

"Nah, he's fine." The chef smirked, "He just needs to get a little breakfast in him!"

Glenn whined in protest behind Victoria.

"Excuse me, Detective Morgan?"

Oh man, she couldn't remember the last time someone called her that. She whirled around to Dale and nodded.

"If you don't mind me saying so, you don't sound like you're from around here."

"I'm, _like,_ from the _gnarly_ shores of South Cali, _my dude"_ She flicked her hand, giving them the typical surfer-dude _Shaka_ gesture.

It got a quiet chuckle out of the survivors, which was enough for Victoria.

"How'd you find yourself in Atlanta?" Dale asked.

She took a sip of coffee, it was too early for an interrogation - no matter how polite. "I go wherever the job takes me." Victoria eluded, examining the ragtag group curiously. "Is everyone from the Georgia?"

Lori answered with a nod, "Almost all of us met on the Highway during Atlanta's evacuation, except for a few of us who came later." She hesitated, her hazel eyes flickering to Andrea before she carefully added, "There was more of us but... we've lost people on the way."

It must have been recent, if the way Andrea cringed into her breakfast was any indication.

"I'm sorry." Victoria said, but she knew it offered little. "It never gets easier."

"No." Andrea agreed, lips tugging into a frown, "It doesn't."

Before Victoria could respond, and she didn't really want to, Rick stumbled into the cafeteria looking worse for ware.

"Are you hungover?" Carl asked with a cheeky little grin. "Mom said you'd be."

Rick slouched into the chair next to Lori and flashed his son a weak grin, "Mom is right."

Lori smirked, "Mom has that annoying habit."

Victoria watched the family with curiosity, where did Shane fit into all of this?

"Eggs!" T-dog announced, rounding the counter with a jovial, "Powdered, but I do 'em good!" He dumped the eggs on Glenn's plate, leaning close to the younger ear, "I bet you can't tell but protein helps the hangover."

Glenn whimpered as Jacqui tried to soothe him.

"Where'd all this come from?" Rick asked, struggling to open a pill bottle. "Help me. Please"

His wife took the bottle and easily twisted off the cap. "Jenner." She said, handing it back.

Victoria hoped her surprise wasn't obvious. She half expected to find Edwin slumped over a console with a bullet in his head.

"He thought we could use it." Lori added, glancing at Glenn with a chuckle, "Some of us, at least."

"Don't ever, ever, _ever_ let me drink again."

Victoria couldn't help but to chuckle. She had been there more then a few times.

Shane was the last survivor to arrive. He greeted everyone with a grunt, rushing to the coffee pot.

Victoria offered him a styrofoam cup with a coy grin, "Morning." She said, "Sleep well?"

"Fine." He grunted without looking at her. "Sorry about last night. Didn't know it was your room."

She hoped to get a little more of a rise from him but obviously he wasn't interested. Instead, she shrugged, "Don't worry about it, man."

"About what I said-"

"You were drunk. Consider it forgotten."

Shane finally looked up with a sigh of relief.

"Feel as bad as I do?" Rick interrupted from the breakfast table.

"Worse."

"The hell happened to you?" T-Do exclaimed as he passed Shane. "Your neck?"

Now with everyone's attention on him, Shane sat at the table with a cool shrug. "Must've done it in my sleep."

Rick frowned, "Never seen you do that before."

"Me either. Not like me at all."

Victoria watched as Lori met Shane's wandering eyes from across the table. The mother looked down and glared at the bacon in her hand before dumping it back on the plate.

Lori attacked Shane, Victoria noted, but why?

"Good morning, everyone."

Victoria turned her attention to the doorway as Jenner stepped into the cafeteria. He looked better then the day before, if only marginally.

"Nice to see you showered, Jenner."

"And good morning to you too, Victoria."

In the corner of her eye, Victoria caught Dale and Andrea share a look before nodding at each other.

Dale shifted to face the scientist and detective, "I don't mean to slam you with questions first thing..."

"But you will anyways." Jenner chuckled.

Andrea glared, determined as she studied the scientist. "We didn't come here for the eggs."

* * *

Jenner stood ridged in the middle of the control room, waiting as the survivors shuffled on the platform around him.

"Give me playback of T.S nineteen"

"Man, I don't think that's necessary." Victoria warned from her workstation behind him.

"They need to see it. VI, playback."

"Playback of T.S nineteen." VI echoed.

The terminals around them whirled to life as the big screen blinked on, broadcasting a moving x-ray.

"Is that a brain?" Carl asked with an excited gasp.

Jenner grinned down at the boy, "An extraordinary one." But the grin slipped as he added, "Not that it matters in the end. Take us in for E.I.V."

"Enhanced internal view."

The video zoomed in until they could only see the brain stems, each flickering with thousands of little blue lights.

Shane slid into the chair next to Victoria, his eyes narrowing at the screen. "What're those lights?"

"It's a persons life." Jenner answered, "Experiences, memories. It's everything. Somewhere, in all that organic wiring, all those ripples of light, is _you_. The thing that makes you... unique and human."

The Hick crossed his arms over his chest, grumbling, "You make sense, ever?"

"Those are synapses, electric impulses in the brain that carry all the messages." Jenner simplified, pointing at the brain, "They determine everything a person says, does or think from the moment of birth to the moment of death."

"Death?" Rick repeated, stepping next to the scientist. "That's what this is - a vigil?"

"Yes. Or, or rather the playback of the vigil."

Andrea flanked Jenner from the left, her arms wrapped around her stomach as she murmured, "This person died - who?"

"Test Subject Nineteen. Someone who was bitten and infected, and volunteered to have us record the process. VI, scan forward to the first event."

"Scanning to first event."

The video fast-forwarded until the base of the brain darkened, the person in the video thrashing violently until the lights were swallowed.

"What is that?" Glenn cried.

"It invades the brain like meningitis. The adrenal glands hemorrhage. The brain goes into shutdown, then the major organs. Then death" Jenner trailed off as the brain completely darkened. "Everything you ever were, or will be, _gone._ "

"Is that what happened to Jim?" Sophia tugged on Carol's sleeve.

"Yes." She clutched her daughters hand.

Andrea tore her eyes away from the screen with a strangled gasp. She braced herself against the console, trying to hold back a sob with a sharp exhale.

"She lost somebody two days ago." Lori explained softly, "Her sister."

"I lost somebody too." Jenner said unasked, leaning over to Andrea, "I know how devastating it is." He faced the screen again with thinned lips, "Scan to second event."

"Scanning to second event."

"The resurrection times vary wildly. We have report of it happening in as little as three minutes, the longest we heard of was eight hours. In the case of this patient it was two hours, one minute, seven seconds."

The body suddenly jolted, the brain flourishing with a bright, sinister red energy that scattered throughout the stems - but it never quite regained its beautiful light show.

"It restarts the brain?" Lori gasped next to Andrea.

"No. Just the brain stem. Basically, it gets them up and moving"

Rick crinkled his eyebrows, "But they're not alive?"

"You tell me."

"It's nothing like before. Most of that brain is dark-"

"Dark, lifeless, dead." Jenner finished for the Sheriff, "The frontal lobe, the neo-cortex, the human part, that doesn't come back - the _you_ part. Just a shell, driven by mindless instinct."

Before the survivors could ask more questions, something ripped through the brain, tearing it straight down the middle and destroying all the light.

Carol took a step back, "God! What was that?"

"He shot his patient in the head." Andrea answered sharply. "Didn't you?"

Before Jenner could answer, Victoria shouted, "VI, power everything down here."

"Powering down main screen and workstations"

Everything but the lights flickered off, leaving the survivors in a shell-shocked silence.

Victoria crossed her arms over her chest, what did Jenner gain with his lecture?

Andrea was the first to recover, apparently not done with her interrogation. "You have _no idea_ what is is, do you?"

"It could be microbial, viral, parasitic, fungal."

"Or the wrath of god?" Jacqui rasped, wiping the tears from her exhausted eyes.

"There is that."

"Somebody must know something." Andrea insisted, throwing her hands in the air, "Somebody, _somewhere!_ "

"There are others, right?" Carol interrupted, her mesmerizing blue eyes pleading with Jenner.

Victoria made a sound of uncertainty from her throats that she immediately regretted - they all turned to her with wide eyes at the realization.

Rick shook his head, "You don't know?" He questioned, taken aback. "How could you not know?"

"It's not that easy." Victoria sighed, swiping a hand down her face. "Everything went down, man. Military, the government, even the other facilities - all of it, like dominoes. I haven't heard back from anyone in weeks."

Andrea scoffed, wiping around to Victoria. "So, it's not just here?" She barked, her voice cracking as she sneered. "There's nothing left anywhere? _Nothing?_ That's what you're really saying, right?"

Victoria opened her mouth to tell the woman _exactly_ what she meant but the words died on her lips. Instead, Victoria pursed her lips and bobbed her head up and down.

Her silence unleashed a ripple of anguish that pummeled the survivors.

Even Daryl looked troubled, rubbing his eyes as muttered, "Man, I'm gonna get shitfaced drunk again"

Dale stepped deeper onto the platform as his fellow survivors came to terms with the end of the world - again. "Dr. Jenner, Detective Morgan, I know this day has been taxing on both of you, and I hate to ask one more question but that clock, it's counting down" He pointed to the wall on their left, where the big, red numbers were flashing 00:59:59. "What happens at zero?"

"Yes, Jenner," Victoria gleefully goaded, "what happens at zero?

For the first time, Jenner looked flustered as the group turned to the timer for the first time. "The basement generators, they run out of fuel."

"And then?" Rick demanded.

Without another word, Jenner brushed past the Sheriff and fled the room with his tail tucked between his legs.

Rick's narrowed his eyes, "VI!" He shouted, "What happens when the power runs out?"

"When the power runs out, facility-wide decontamination will occur"


	5. Chapter 4

The situation spiraled out of control.

The men took turns smashing fire axes into the shutters but not even T-dog, the most physically imposing man, couldn't make a dent in the impenetrable glass.

The women waited in the meantime and were all but inconsolable, either clutching their children or desperately trying to hold themselves together.

Victoria kept her distance from Jenner, barely fighting back the urge to smash his face into a monitor, and paced in front of the women instead. She wracked her brain for a better plan than killing Jenner but came up blank.

"You should have left well enough alone." Edwin complained suddenly. "it would've been so much easier."

Lori narrowed her eyes at the scientist. "Easier for who?" She spat.

"All of you. You know what's out there; a short, brutal life and an agonizing death." He faced Andrea, pointing at her. "You. Your sister. What was her name?"

"Amy."

 _"Amy._ You know what this does. You've seen it-"

"Stop goading them into this, Jenner." Victoria scoffed as she whipped around to face Jenner. "They don't want it."

Jenner glanced up, his crystal blue eyes hardening around the edges at Victoria. "You just don't get it, do you?"

"Enlighten me, please."

"No one is coming for you." Jenner spat. "Everyone you love is dead. But you're too much of a _coward_ to face the truth!"

"Dude, fuck you." Victoria approached the scientist with barely restrained ire. "These people are living proof humanity can survive out there. You know jackshit." Victoria turned her back on him, chest heaving as she leaned against the railing.

The timer was still running down.

Jenner sighed, shifting his attention to the Sheriff as he joined them on the platform.

"You've seen it. Is that what you want for your wife and son?"

"I don't want _this._ "

Shane leaned against the console by Rick with a sharp exhale. "Can't make a dent." He reported, dropping the fire axe.

Jenner chuckled, "Those doors are designed to withstand a rocket launcher."

"Well your head ain't!"

Victoria whirled around as Daryl flung himself at the scientist with the fire axe raised above his head.

Dale and T-Dog intercepted the hillbilly before he could reach the doctor, each grabbing an arm and tugging Daryl back.

"Just back up." Rick ordered, flanking the men from behind. "Back up!"

Without breaking a sweat, T-dog snatched the axe before shoving the hick away from the doctor.

Daryl spat at the scientist and with a heated glare, stalked away.

Jenner stood up, too calm for a man in his position, and addressed Rick again. "You do want this." He urged. "Last night you said, you knew it was just a matter of time before everybody you loved was dead."

Lori gasped, staring up at her husband with a slack-jawed expression. "What?"

"You really said that?" Shane added with a scoff. "After all your big talk?"

"I had to keep hope alive, didn't I?" Rick implored his wife.

"There is no hope." Jenner persisted. "There never was."

"There is always hope." Rick argued, "Maybe it won't be you, maybe not here, but somebody, somewhere-"

"What part of everything is gone do you not understand?" Andrea barked at the Sheriff.

"Listen to your friend." Jenner sat back against the terminal. "She gets it. This is what takes us down. This is our..." He glanced up, searching for the right word, " _extinction_ event."

"This isn't right." Carol openly wept against her daughter. "You can't keep us here!"

"One tiny moment, a millisecond, no pain."

Carol stood then, lifting the terrified child with her. "My daughter doesn't deserve to die like this."

"Wouldn't it be kinder?" Jenner asked even as Carol backed away. "More compassionate to just hold your loved ones and wait for the clock to run down?"

"You know what, man?" Victoria had just about enough of his prophetic bullshit. "Why don't you take your _kindness_ and shove it up your-"

"Out of the way, Rick!" Shane pumped his shotgun as he dashed past the Sheriff. "Stay out of my way." He shoved the barrel in Jenner's face, pushing the man back down, and snarled. "Open the door _or_ I'm gonna blow your head off. Do you hear me?"

"Brother. Brother, this is not the way you do things." Without caution, Rick came behind Shane. "We will _never_ get out of here."

"Shane. You listen to him." Lori demanded.

"It's too late."

Rick shook his head. "He dies, we all-"

Shane screamed and pulled the trigger, again, and again, and again, the bucks firing off int the destroyed console behind Jenner's head.

As everyone ducked with a startled shout, Rick seized the shotgun and smacked Shane in the face with the stock.

"Are you done now?" He stood over his deputy, threatening him the butt of the shotgun. "Are you done?"

"Yeah." Shane turned his head and spat a glob of blood before glaring up at Rick. "I guess we all are."

Daryl picked up the forgotten axe but, instead of going another round with Jenner, he muttered, "Forget this." and returned to the beating the shutters.

Against the dull thumps, Victoria could feel her time running out. She had to do something, no matter what Jenner babbled, the survivors didn't deserve to die with a madman holding them hostage.

"You can't believe this is the right thing to do."

"It _is_ the right thing to do."

"Christ. C'mon, Jenner, listen to yourself for a minute. What are you trying to accomplish?"

"I'm doing what you _couldn't_ do - I'm putting you out of your misery, Victoria. No more _waiting_ , no more _wondering_. It's the humane thing to do."

Victoria tilted her head. He was reaching, she realized, grasping at straws to not only convince them, but himself too.

"No. The humane thing was you dedicating any time you had left in finding a cure-"

"Not because I wanted to." Jenner snapped.

"What was it all for then?"

Jenner lifted himself to his full height, which towered over Victoria, and glared. "I made a promise." He pointed at the big screen, glaring at the engrossed survivors. "To her. My wife."

"Test subject nineteen was your wife?" Lori gasped over the shocked murmuring.

With a defeated sigh, Jenner shrugged. "She begged me to stay as long as I could. How could I say no?"

Victoria could barely recall the day his wife died. People were either fleeing or killing themselves and by the end of the night, it was just Edwin and herself left. She had never met Candace in all the chaos but Jenner spoke about her often - while he was in a drunken stupor, usually.

"She was dying. It should've been me on that table. I wouldn't have mattered to anybody." He gestured to the screen again, increasingly more agitated as he ranted. "She was a loss to the world. Hell, she ran this place. I just worked here. In our field, she was an Einstein. Me? I'm just... Edwin Jenner. She could've done something about this. Not me."

"Look around you, Jenner." Victoria demanded. "These people don't want to die like this. All we want is a choice." She shook her head, wondering, "How could you take it away from us like it was taken from your wife?"

Jenner regarded Victoria as if he was seeing her for the first time. The shadow clouding his face lightened for a brief moment as he grumbled, "I told you, topsides locked down. I can't open those." He stepped around Victoria to type something into the untouched computer.

Daryl yelped as the shutters lifted mid-swing. He dropped the axe and shouted, "Come on!"

While everyone else sprang into action, Rick turned to Jenner with obvious relief.

"There's your chance." Jenner told him. "Take it."

"I'm grateful."

"The day will come when you won't be."

Victoria watched as Jenner grabbed Rick's hand and pulled him closer. She couldn't hear what the scientist whispered but by the disturbed look on Rick's face, she didn't want to know.

"Hey!" Glenn screamed. "We got four minutes left, come on!"

Lori rushed back up the ramp for her husband and together, the couple fled up the ramp, past Jacqui, who was demanding the others leave her in peace.

"You're staying." Jenner surmised.

"You're right." Victoria shrugged. "I'm a coward. But I'm a coward facing the truth this time - there's nothing out there for me." She turned her back on Jenner, perfectly content to spend the rest of her last moments ignoring the sonuvabitch.

On the platform, Andrea and Dale were locked in a heated argument about leave too - and by the looks of it, Andrea was winning.

"Shane, no!"

Victoria gaped as Shane darted back down the ramp, equipment and shotgun slung over his shoulder.

"Shane!" Rick lingered in the doorway, conflicted, before he allowed to be pulled away by his frantic wife and son.

"What are you doing?" Victoria cried as the survivors disappeared through the door. "Go with them!"

"Not without you."

"Yes, without me." She argued, unimpressed as he jumped up the platform. "Christ, man, what the fuck are you doing? You're risking your life for a stranger!"

"A stranger who fought for us. A stranger who wanted a chance just like the rest of us."

"I'm facing the truth. There's nothing left for me - call me a coward but it's what I chose." Victoria took a step back from Shane, annoyed when he took a step forward.

"You ain't a coward. There's something out there for you even if it's just proving Jenner wrong. Don't give up yet."


	6. Chapter 5

As soon as Victoria touched asphalt, only one thought came to mind - _oh god, I've made a mistake._

She couldn't dwell on it too long, the building behind her was still set to explode any second, but once they were on the open road, swerving through infected and sweltering under the Atlanta heat, reality hit Victoria hard.

The entire caravan stopped so she could dry-heave over the side of the freeway. And, if that wasn't humiliating enough, it was Shane who held her hair back.

"I think you could use this."

Victoria warily lifted her head, her surroundings returning to focus.

She was sitting in the RV. Except, she was by herself now and it was dark.

"Some of your things." Carol clarified, lifting the unfamiliar duffel bag. Her demeanor softened into a sympathetic smile that Victoria despised. "We packed you a bag, we hoped you wouldn't mind."

Victoria took the pilfered bag and unzipped it on her lap.

At the very top was her badge, resting under the leather patrolman's jacket. The embroidered _Margaux_ faced her proudly but it felt like another life - car chases, outsmarting the bad guy, endless paperwork - almost like she was remembering someone else's life.

Under it, Victoria found a few shirts, some jeans and a few other necessities haphazardly thrown in with the rest.

A laugh bubbled passed her lips as she closed the bag. She was so stupid, how could she let herself leave the CDC with nothing but the clothes on her back?

"This is great, really." Victoria beamed, a near-hysteric grin stretching her lips. "Saves me a world of trouble. Thank you."

"It wasn't a problem."

Victoria pressed her lips together as she glanced over her shoulder. They were stopped at a gas station in, what looked like, an abandoned town. "Where are we?"

"A few hours outside of Atlanta." Carol answered. "We've stopped for the night. Rick and Shane want to regroup in the morning." She paused, and the curious lift in her voice told Victoria there was more to _regrouping._ "The rest of us are scavenging."

Victoria sunk back into the plush cushions. _Outside_ \- she felt sick thinking about it.

"I know everything must seem overwhelming but, you're one of us now. We'll help you through it."

Maybe if she said it with less pity, Victoria would've believed her.

* * *

Rick was still around by the time Victoria gathered enough courage to leave the camper. He looked about as exhausted as Victoria felt as he hunched over Shane's jeep.

"Hey." He greeted as she approached. "How ya' feeling?"

"Like I stepped into Armageddon." She said dryly, getting a chuckle from him. "Uh, you need help or something?"

"We could always use another pair of hands." Rick shrugged. "Daryl's scouting the area but he works better alone, I think. T-dog and Glenn are siphoning gas and the rest of them are gathering supplies." He took a moment to scrutinize her.

She was reminded of the way Shane examined her the other night, except, Rick met her eyes with much less hostility.

"You familiar with any military outposts?"

"Depends. I've heard some stuff. I've seen some stuff." Victoria leaned closer to the map on the hood of the jeep. "Which outpost?"

Rick tapped his finer on the map. "This is Fort Benning."

Victoria wasn't familiar with the apocalypse yet but, Fort Benning seemed unrealistically far away.

"It's a hundred of twenty-five miles." Rick added, noticing her uncertainty.

"That's far."

The Sheriff hummed in a agreement.

"Why there?"

"It's where Shane wants to go, said it's fortified, safe."

Victoria couldn't help the wry chuckle that left her lips. "So was the CDC."

Rick winced, nothing but apologetic as he faced her. "I'm sorry it ended like that."

Victoria hated to but she believed him. "Yeah, me too. I didn't think Jenner would go crazy and try to kill everyone." She clenched her jaw, _fucking Jenner,_ and continued, "I don't know about Fort Benning, man. The last directive was to hold out as long as we could while the outposts were falling like dominoes, and that was about a month ago." As Rick's expression faltered, Victoria offered an apologetic shrug. "I just don't want to lead you into another death trap."

His expression steeled and, to Victoria's surprise, he nodded in agreement. "You're right. We don't know what we're walking into." He took of his hat and stuck out his other hand to Victoria. "Thank you for convincing Jenner to let us go."

Victoria stared at his hand, she supposed she was one of them now - a survivor, whether she liked it or not. She slipped her hand through his and gave it a halfhearted shake. "Thanks, Sheriff."

He returned his hat back to its rightful place. "Why don't you come with me? We still need to check out this gas station."

But by the way his lips twisted around the words - wrong, like he wanted to say something else - Victoria had a feeling Jenner's legacy would live on longer then he had.

* * *

According to Rick, Victoria had some luck with scavenging. She found a few packets of beef jerky, a couple of soup cans, and a fruit cup.

It was a nice distraction. Rick was helpful but cautious, and quickly picked up how uncomfortable Victoria was. He filled the silence with survival tips that mostly went over her head, but she appreciated the effort.

When they returned back to the caravan, Victoria dropped the fruit cup in Carl's lap, smirking at the delighted way he ripped into it.

It wasn't a spaghetti feast but it was enough.

Lori flashed a thankful smile over the boy's head. "Carl."

At the stern tone, the boy eagerly nodded at Victoria. "Thank you!"

She winked at the boy, who flushed a brilliant red over a mouthful of syrup.

The others choked down their dinner quietly. The mood was sullen but still _hopeful,_ they weren't too torn up over the CDC.

Victoria wasn't either, if she was being honest. She wouldn't miss the buzzing florescent lights or the sterile smell or all that waiting around for something to happen - and she _definitely_ wouldn't miss Jenner, fuck that guy.

But as she scampered back in the RV, she realized how much she'd miss having four, sturdy walls keeping her separated for them infected that lurked outside - she'd miss the wine too.

It wasn't long after that the kiddies were put to sleep and the adults huddled around the RV one last time. Victoria sat on the steps of the RV and watched as Rick and Shane quietly bickered with each other by the jeep.

"Are they always like this?" She asked out-loud, surprised when the entire group, entire Lori, answered with exasperation.

"Benning is still on the table." Shane announced as they returned. "It's far, I know." He continued over the unhappy murmurs, "We'll have to stop for supplies and gas on the way but we're out of options." He looked around, catching each survivor by the eye. "Fort Benning?"

Around him, the survivors muttered their agreements but no one looked pleased by it.

"Alright." Rick agreed with a sigh. "We leave for Fort Benning tomorrow. Get some sleep, it's gonna be a long day."

Everybody called it a night after that, picking a car to sleep in or piling into the RV. Victoria ducked out, climbing into the passengers seat of the Jeep with Shane.

It was uncomfortable. Victoria stared at the hardtop while Shane shifted, never finding a comfortable position.

A strange pain hit Victoria in the chest - loneliness, she decided. Would it always feel like that, being the odd man out?

"You didn't say anything about Benning." Shane spoke tersely from the corner of his mouth.

Victoria couldn't tell him the truth, that she was certain that Fort Benning wasn't worth the hassle. "It's not my decision to be part of." She decided instead.

"It sure as shit it." Shane argued. "It's your decision too. You're with us now."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Yeah, so everyone keeps telling me." She shifted to face him, studying the hard edges of features before adding, "You didn't have to come back for me today."

"I meant what I said."

"I know. And I'd thank you for it but... I'm not entire sure I'm grateful yet."

For a moment, Victoria was sure he was going to be angry with her lack of gratitude. But instead, his lips curled into a smirk. "I could tell. Man, you just about flung yourself in the ditch to get away from me."

Heat flared in her cheeks. Ugh, why remind her?

"You don't have to be grateful."

Victoria opened her mouth but a beat passed, then another, then another. Whatever she wanted to say died on her lips as she stared at the handsome, yet troubled man.

* * *

Mankind's destructed was a sight to behold first hand. It was nothing like idly observing from the underground. The devastation was oddly beautiful, the country scenery was distorted by rotting corpses, turned over cars, and even the odd animal that passed by - a deer that was covered in blood, missing patches of fur and skin, like something out of a twisted Bambi.

The survivors, now including Victoria, hit the road early. Unfortunately, they had to drop Shane's Jeep, which meant she was stuck in the RV with everybody else.

Victoria supposed the silver lining was having a window seat to the apocalypse. She couldn't tear her eyes away, unlike Andrea, who sat with her back against the window, her visceral blue eyes staring at the table separating the women.

At some point during the road trip, Shane dropped his gun cleaning kit on the table and squeezed into the small space next to Victoria. She barely noticed him, finding the methodical way he took about his gun comforting.

"Looks complicated." Andrea commented after a while.

"The trick is getting all these pieces back together the same way." Shane said with a flicker of a grin. He reached into the duffel bag at his feet. "I could clean yours, show you how."

At the same time, Victoria shifted the straps of her holster. They hadn't asked for her gun yet but she knew it was a matter of time, no one else had their weapons but Rick, Shane and Daryl.

But she wouldn't hand it over without a fight.

Through the reflection, Victoria watched Shane look down the sights of Andrea's pistol. He gave an appreciative hum, "Oh yeah, it's a sweet piece."

The blonde leaned in, resting her elbows in the table. "It was a gift, from my father." She said, and Victoria could hear the longing in her voice. "He gave it to me just before Amy and I took off on our road trip. He said two girls on their own should be able to defend themselves."

"Smart man, your father." Shane agreed, popping out the magazine before showing it to Andrea. "So, look, it's a limited capacity, see? Only holds seven rounds."

Victoria wasn't about to compare dick sizes but her M9 held 15 rounds.

"Oh, jeez." Dale grumbled from the front.

Victoria turned around as the RV came to a stop, noticing the glaring problem ahead of them.

There was a tipped over 16-wheeler blocking the way and the cars surrounding it were too close together to go through them.

They were miles from the highway and only now hitting traffic? Victoria couldn't believe their luck.

"See a way through?" Dale called to Daryl as the younger man pulled up on his motorcycle.

The hillbilly squinted over his shoulder and nodded. Revving the engine, Daryl circled back around the 16-wheeler.

"Um, maybe we should just go back." Glenn suggested from the passengers seat, head buried in a big map. "There's an interstate bypass-"

"We can't spare the fuel." Dale shut him down. He pressed the camper forward in a snails pace, weaving around whatever trouble he could as Daryl led the way.

Victoria considered all the cars they passed and made a sound of disagreement. "This is pretty much a post-apocalyptic gas station, right?"

Shane looked back at Victoria, eyebrows raised with surprise.

"We could siphon gas-"

"Now, hang on." Shane interrupted T-dog. "Let's see if we can't find a way through before we start looting."

It was a graveyard, left untouched by time. Car doors and trunks were left ajar. Clothes, blankets and everything in between littered the road under them. Victoria could see corpses still sitting in their cars, rotting, waiting for the traffic to pass like any other afternoon.

There was a metaphor in there somewhere.

The RV jolted under them, coming to a pitiful stop with a loud crack from under the hood.

Dale groaned as they watched dark smoke plume from under the hood.

"Dude, no way." Victoria whined.

Dale groaned again, scratching his head over his bucket hat. "It must be that damn radiator hose again."

The survivors filed out of their cars, gathering around the smoking camper with caution.

"I said it, didn't I say it? A thousand times, dead in the water." Dale complained as Victoria tentatively stuck her head out of the RV.

"Problem, Dale?" Shane inquired sarcastically.

"Just a small matter of being stuck in the middle of nowhere with no hope of-" Before Dale could finish, Daryl started emptying the trunk of the station wagon parked next to them. "Okay." Dale muttered. "That was dumb."

"If you can't find a radiator hose here..." Shane began, looking back at Victoria with an affirming nod.

"There's a whole bunch of stuff we can find" Daryl agreed, almost too gleeful to be looting.

"We can siphon more fuel from these cars, for a start" T-Dog grinned.

"Maybe some water." Carol added longingly.

"Food!" Glenn chimed in eagerly.

"This is a graveyard." Lori cut off their game with an appalled snap.

Everyone turned to the housewife with surprise but it was a curious moral dilemma for Victoria. Was it still considered grave robbing if the dead fought back?

"I don't know how I feel about this." Lori added, turning to her husband for support.

Rick sighed, adjusting his hat before shrugging at Shane.

"Come'on ya'll." Shane called, spurring everyone into action. "Just look around, gather what you can."

While everybody dispersed, and while Dale and Glenn examined the smoking engine, Victoria ducked her head back in the RV.

The longer they were stopped, lingering where they could be surrounded, unsettled her. She didn't feel the need to be outside either - _baby steps._

Victoria returned to the bench and unholstered her gun. It was still in pristine condition, the pearl grip even shined when she curled it towards the light. It was originally her work gun, although she used it a lot less then she thought she would've - being a detective wasn't anything like the 50's made it seem.

Andrea collapsed on the bench across from Victoria, one hand firmly pressed against her stomach.

"Doesn't feel right?" Victoria guessed.

Andrea made a face, stuck between repulsed and anxious. Instead of answering, she glared at the leftover protect between them. The determined glint in her eyes told Victoria she was looking for a distraction too.

She clucked her tongue as Andrea picked up the frame and the slide and tried to force them together.

"That's not right, is it?" Andrea scrutinized the other woman's disapproving frown.

Victoria offered nothing but a nonchalant shrug.

Andrea's eyes narrowed into slits as she dropped the pieces and lifted the barrel and coils.

"Mmhm"

The blonde stared at the pieces, puzzled as she twisted them like the Rubik's Cube.

"So," Victoria couldn't help herself, "You and Dale."

Andrea huffed, honest to god huffed, as she blew a blonde lock out of her face. "You and Shane. He's got _your_ _back_ , huh?"

Victoria smacked her lips at Andrea's suggestive tone. "That's not-"

"Oh, I'm not judging." She totally was. "Shane's a big, strong, handsome man. And you know who thinks so too?" Andrea peeked up at Victoria as the brunette shook her head. "Lori does." She offered a meaningful look, obviously knowing more then she was letting on. "And that's not a mess you want to get in between."

As Andrea returned shoving the gun pieces together like a mismatched jigsaw, Victoria leaned back and appraised the woman - she was as smart as a whip, that much was clear.

"Although," Andrea continued suddenly. "Maybe you should, it would - _HURK!_ " She was pulled out of her seat and yanked to the cold vinyl floor. "What the _hell_ -"

Victoria pressed a finger to her own lips, leaning closer to Andrea as she murmured, "They're coming."


	7. Chapter 6

"It'll pass. It'll pass."

Judging by Andrea's scathing glare, Victoria's reassurances weren't helping.

The blonde snatched the disassembled gun from the table and shuffled backwards, a sheer look of terror falling over Victoria's shoulder.

She followed Andrea, slipping into the lavatory before the door was shut. Victoria found herself pressed against the other woman and silently groaned - a goddamn pack of undead bastards surrounding the RV and she's struck in a tiny space, _of course_.

"Okay." Andrea trembled, sliding down the bathroom wall. "Okay. Okay. Okay." She unfurled the rag in her lap, returning to the gun with gusto.

Victoria pressed her ear to the door and ignored Andrea. It was silent, hopefully that meant the other survivors were okay.

Their unwelcome visitor shuffled closer to the back of the camper, hissing as he sniffed out his next meal.

Victoria breathed a sigh of relief as the undead shuffled away from the bathroom door. She looked over her shoulder, watching as Andrea desperately tried to create a weapon.

Above them, Dale was trying to break through the mesh vent with a screwdriver but was having little success.

Victoria curled her fingers around the grip of her pistol but, it didn't matter, she couldn't risk making any-

"Shit." The pistol frame dropped from Andrea's shaking hands and clattered loudly against the tiles.

Victoria whipped around, listening as the infected came to a stop in the kitchenette. With a heavy swallow, Victoria pushed her weight against the door. Andrea followed, pushing against the door with her feet between Victoria's legs.

Neither woman expected it. The infected threw itself against the door, nearly taking it off the hinges. Before Victoria could push back, a gnarly hand slipped through the crack.

Behind her, Andrea yelped, which only spurred the monster on. It slammed against the door again, pushing his face between the doorframe with a snarl.

Victoria tried to shove against him but he was impervious to pain. The infected growled, wrapping his fingers in Victoria's hair and smacking her head against the door.

With a hoarse, angry cry, Victoria slammed herself against the door. The infected howled as his wrist snapped backwards, releasing Victoria's hair.

The edges of Victoria's vision were darkening, her heart pounding against her rib cage - _oh god, not now, not now!_

The infected hurled itself at the door again, but Victoria wasn't ready this time. She stumbled back, nearly tripping over Andrea's cowering form as the door swung open.

"Fuck!" Victoria caught the snapping jaw and fought against the infected's impressive strength.

He hissed and Victoria gagged at the dank breath - his latest victim, no doubt.

Andrea shouted behind her, coming over Victoria's shoulder and driving the screwdriver deep into the infected's eye. It gushed like a fountain, spraying the women with brilliant red.

Victoria used the leverage to shove him from the bathroom and ripped the weapon from his eye. She winced as more blood squirted at her. With a final cry, Victoria pushed the injured walker to the floor and drove the screwdriver into his other eye, again, and again, and again until the undead man wasn't thrashing between her legs anymore.

Victoria collapsed back with gasp.

"A- ar- are you okay?" Andrea whimpered behind her.

She blinked, willing away the shadows lurking at the edge of her vision. "I think so." She gingerly touched the tender spot on her head. She was okay, there wasn't even a bald spot. "Are you?"

Andrea whimpered, "Mmhm"

Victoria grabbed the kitchen counter and heaved herself on the bench with shaky legs. She glanced through the window, relieved that their tango with the undead hadn't attracted any of his friends.

Victoria stood, kicking the dead body as she regained her confidence. She outstretched a hand to Andrea, who was still kneeling in the bathroom doorway.

"You've got red on you."

* * *

With one crisis averted, another was hot on the heels of the survivors.

Andrea, Dale and Victoria caught up with the others just in time to watch Rick hop over the guardrail, tumble down the hill and vanish through the thick, woodsy foliage.

The others emerged from under the cars, none as loud as Carol as she wailed, "There's two walkers after my baby!" She shot forward, running to follow the Sheriff.

Lori caught the woman around the waist, using her free hand to cover Carol's mouth.

Without hesitation, Shane and Glenn followed Rick into uncertainty with the bold promise to bring Sophia back.

Victoria toed the line of uncertainty. That small girl couldn't outrun two _walkers,_ as Carol called them.

It wasn't smart to make promises to a grieving mother - a rookie mistake.

"T-Dog's bleeding by the RV" Daryl shoved the first aid kit into Victoria's arms before rushing past her, disappearing into the woods with the other men.

Victoria stared at the kit, confused, and still a little out of it, before running back to the camper.

She found T-dog lying near the trailer, half-lucid, muttering to himself about _geeks_ \- another creative name for the infected, Victoria guessed.

There was a large laceration down the length of his forearm and despite being messily wrapped with a rag, T-dog was bleeding out.

Victoria knelt down and went to work, but her hands were still shaking from her altercation. She cleaned the wound but it was too deep for the gauze, he needed stitches.

After helping T-dog into the RV and dragging the dead body from the kitchen, Victoria was exhausted and in desperate need for a shower - or whatever the apocalyptic version of a shower was.

Victoria left the RV with the knowledge that nowhere was safe. She was unsurprised to find Carol by the guardrail while the rest of the survivors were hard at work pushing cars out of the way.

"What the hell happened to you?" Shane spluttered as she approached.

"Baptism by blood." Victoria explained wryly. "A - _what did you call them?_ \- a walker found me and Andrea in the camper. I think we handled it okay."

Dale chuckled next to Shane, obviously saying otherwise.

Victoria ignored him, adding, "I did what I could for T-dog but I think the dude's gonna need snitches." She jerked her head to the woods. "What happened out there?"

"Some walkers spooked Sophia and she took off." Shane ran a hand through his thick curls. "Rick and Daryl are on it. Do me a favor-"

"Why aren't we all out there lookin'?" Carol interrupted, stepping inbetween Shane and Victoria. "Why are we moving cars?"

"Well, we have to clear enough room so I can get the RV turned around as soon as it's running." Dale gestured to the backed-up highway. "Now that we have fuel, we can double back to a bypass Glenn flagged on the map."

Shane surveyed the road ahead of them with a frown. "Going back's gonna be easier than going through this mess."

"We're not going anywhere 'till my daughter gets back!"

"Hey." Lori warned as she passed, dropping a laundry basket of canned food near the RV. "That goes without saying."

"Look, Rick and Daryl, they're on it, okay?" Shane tried to appease Carol with a charming smile. "Just a matter of time."

"Can't be soon enough for me." Andrea complained as she and Glenn joined the group. She gave a bottled water to Victoria before cracking open another with an irritated huff. "I'm still freaked out from that herd that passed us by - or whatever you'd call it."

Glenn nodded, a contemplative frown on his lips. "Yeah, what was that? All of them just, marching along like that?"

"A herd." Shane tested. "That sounds about right. We've seen it. It's like that night camp got attacked. Some wandering pack, only fewer."

Victoria scoffed. "So, what? They're traveling in groups now? Wonderful. Who knows what else they're learn."

Glenn and Andrea shared a look of dread behind Victoria, murmuring their agreements before Shane cut them off by taping the hood of the camper.

"Okay, come'on people. We still got a lot to do. Let's stay on it. You." He pointed to Victoria, his face contorting with disgust. "There's a truck filled with water down the road. Come and find me when you've cleaned up, alright?"

* * *

As it turned out, baptism by lukewarm water was much better then by blood.

The water truck was a godsend, a little gift in the middle of the shit storm. Sure, there wasn't any privacy, or a tub, and soap was luxury long gone, but once she wrung out her clothes and got the blood out of her hair - _sitting under the cold water, pressed up against the tiles, watching the blood circle the drain as she scrubbed herself, rubbing the same spot idly until she couldn't feel_ _her_ _consciousness fluttering_ _or the_ _heavy weight on her chest._

Victoria pressed her eyes shut, desperately willing the memory back into the hidden corners of her mind. She opened her eyes, searching for Shane like he wanted - a breakdown wasn't a luxury she could afford.

"So, is everyday as eventful?"

From under the hood of a tiny, silver car, Shane offered shrug. "Every day since Rick found us." He glanced up with a lopsided grin pulling at his lips. "Heard you held it down with Andrea."

Victoria leaned next to him, eyebrow raised at his amused tone. "It ain't my first rodeo, man." She squinted at the engine, wondering why Shane was bothering with a car in the ditch. "Anything you need help with, Deputy Sheriff?"

Shane set the wrench down, shifting to face Victoria. His expression darkened, the teasing grin replaced with pressed lips and furrowed eyebrows. "Actually, there is something we need to talk about." He leaned closer, his voice soft as he added, "Listen, I-"

"Shane!"

Victoria and Shane bolted apart as Carl came sprinting at them, leather bound bundle jingling in his arms.

"Carl?" Lori chased after him through the cars. "What happened?"

Carl weaved around, dropping the bundle at Shane and Victoria's feet. "Mom! I found something cool."

Lori sighed, half relieved, half annoyed as her son beamed brightly at her.

"Shane. Check it out." Carl exclaimed, unrolling the leather. It was a utility roll of blades; tomahawks, machetes, axes, even little army knifes.

Victoria couldn't help herself, grabbing for a tactical switchblade and flicked it open. She whistled as the curved, serrated blade sprung out. Apocalypse kits weren't uncommon but were frowned upon by the law - Victoria silently thanked whoever broke that law.

"It's an arsenal." Carl announced, puffing his chest out proudly.

"That's cool, bud." Shane muttered, turning back to the car. "Go give them to Dale."

"Check this one out." Before Victoria could stop him, Carl lifted an axe and held it up to his face. "Whoa, it's a hatchet."

The large, dangerous weapon looked ridiculous in his small hands.

Lori cocked her hip, lips pressed in a firm line. "Be careful. Don't play with those."

Victoria leaned back as the boy swung the axe a little too close to her face.

"What did I just say?" Lori snapped and opened her hand, impatiently waiting for the weapon.

"Can I keep one?"

Lori scoffed. "Are you crazy?" She wrenched the hatchet from him and crouched down, putting the weapon back.

"No way." Carl whined, looking up to Shane with pleading eyes. "Shane. Shane, tell her to let me keep one."

Shane finally looked at the boy, lips curled into a sneer. "Hey, man, go give them all to Dale. Now. _Go._ "

The boy pouted, tears welling up behind crystal blue eyes.

Victoria rolled up the bundle, placing it in Carl's arms. "C'mon kid. Let's go show them to Dale while Shane cools down a little."

"Thank you." Lori muttered, giving her dejected son a gentle push to the RV.

Victoria didn't know much about being a mother but she could tell when a woman was about to lose it, and Lori was about to flip her shit.

She hurried after the boy, who didn't say a word to her as he slouched into the camper.

 _"And that's not a mess you want to get in between."_ Victoria heard Andrea's warning. She _wasn't_ getting involved - Carl didn't deserve the shit Shane was throwing at him.

"Where'd you find this stuff?" Victoria asked as she stepped into the camper.

Carl shuffled his sneakers. "I found them in a car." He said. "There was a dead guy in it." He added, looking up at Victoria through shaggy bangs. "He almost fell on me."

Victoria couldn't help but chuckle, the kid was about as brave _and_ stupid as his father. "It's a good find, kid."

His eyes, strikingly similar to his father's, lit up with unabashed pride.

Victoria twirled the survival knife between her fingers with more flare than necessary. "Do I look cool?"

Grinning from ear-to-ear, Carl nodded, "Super cool."

"How about this?" Victoria crouched down to the boy, dramatically whispering, "If you promise to be extra careful, I'll show you how to hold a knife properly. And if you listen and can prove to me you'll be safe, I'll talk to your parents about letting you hold onto it."

The boy eagerly nodded. "I'll be extra, extra careful!"

* * *

Rick had yet to return with Sophia by the time Dusk fell over Atlanta.

The survivors, while antsy behind Carol's back, were nothing but optimistic that Rick and Daryl would return with the young child. But Victoria knew better, the odds of finding Sophia were becoming slimmer and slimmer as the day came to a close.

Hopefully Rick would see that too but, Victoria doubted it.

She kept Carl busy in the meantime but he had the attention span of any other 9 year old and returned to his mother for dinner, regaling her with tales about how cool Detective Morgan was.

In the corner of her eye, she saw Dale watching her as he fiddled with the camper's engine.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just hear you humoring him all day." Dale smiled. "Most wouldn't have the patience."

"He's a good kid." Victoria shrugged. "It can't be easy being a kid in a world like this."

"I imagine you're right." Dale wiped the sweat from his brow. "It's not easy being an adult in this world either, Detective."

Victoria arched a brow.

"I'd hate to bring it up, again, but, Shane was right. You're not a coward. You're much braver for facing the world, I think."

She wanted to tell him he was wrong but, Andrea stormed over before she could say it.

"Where's my gun? You have no right to take it."

Dale tilted his head. "You don't need that just now, do ya?"

"My father gave it to me. It's mine."

"I can hold onto it for you."

"Or you can give it back to me."

Victoria tried to step away but Shane blocked her path, standing behind her with a sigh.

"Everything cool?"

"No." Andrea crossed her arms. "I want my gun back."

Dale looked between Shane and Andrea. He appeared stern as he said, "I don't think it's a good idea right now."

Already stuck in the middle, Victoria wondered out loud, "Why not?"

"Yes." Andrea agreed, glaring at Dale with narrowed eyes. "Why not?"

Dale sighed, taking a step away from the women as he muttered, "I'm not comfortable with it."

Victoria took her own step away from the trio, her hand itching to reach for her gun - this was about the CDC.

After Shane and Victoria, Dale and Andrea emerged from the CDC was seconds to spare. It seemed like a Dale still had grievances to air out with both women.

"Ah." Shane looped his fingers through his belt. "The truth is, the less guns we have floating around the camp the better."

Andrea scoffed at Shane, raising a challenging brow at the man. "You turning over your weapon?"

The Deputy chuckled as he shook his head. "No." He said plainly. "But I'm trained in it's use. That's what the rest of y'all need is proper training, but until that time I think it's best if Dale keeps them all accounted for."

Andrea stormed away, the glare only darkening.

Victoria patted Shane on the chest, muttering, "I'll see you later."

"Oh, no you don't. We gotta talk about that gun strapped to you too."

Fear gripped Victoria and, this time, she actually did reach for her gun but Glenn dropped a milk crate of supplies next to them and startled her instead.

"Oh, god, they're back!"

Rick and Daryl emerged from the treeline, bloodstained, exhausted, and empty-handed.

Carol bounced anxiously, wrapping her arms around herself as she waited for her daughter to appear behind them. "You didn't find her?"

"Her trail went cold." Rick stepped over the railing with a tight frown. "We'll pick it up again at first light."

"You can't leave my daughter out there on her own to spend the night alone in the woods!"

"Out in the dark's no good." Daryl's aloof expression slipped, softening as he approached Carol. "We'd just be tripping over ourselves - more people get lost."

"She's twelve." Carol cried. "She can't be out there on her own." Her eyes flashed to Rick. "You didn't find anything?"

"I know this is hard but I'm asking you not to panic." The Sheriff requested with a pleading gaze. "We know she was out there."

"And we tracked her for a while." Daryl added.

"We have to make this an organized effort" Rick said to the people hovering around Carol. "Daryl knows the woods better than anybody. I've asked him to oversee this."

But Carol ignored him, staring at their crimson stained clothes. "Is that blood?"

Rick sighed, "We took down a walker."

"Walker?" Carol whimpered, "Oh my god." She twisted, breathing around a sob.

"There was no sign it was ever anywhere near Sophia."

Andrea leaned over, her inquisitive eyes bouncing between the two men. "How can you know that?"

Rick and Daryl shared a look. Victoria almost didn't want to know by the queasy pull of Rick's mouth.

"We cut the sonuvabitch open, made sure." Daryl answered, coaxing the harsh words with a surprising amount of gentleness.

Carol collapsed, sitting on the rail with her eyes squeezed closed. "Oh god." She gasped, ignoring Lori's supportive arm around her shoulders. "How could you just leave her out there to begin with?" She barked at Rick. "How could you just leave her?"

The Sheriff took a step back, grief hardening his attractive features.

Victoria frowned. Carol wouldn't hear anything over her distress. Rick would know that as a police officer but, it seemed that the man was taking this personally.

"There were two walkers on us." Rick crouched down to meet Carol's eye. "I had to draw them off. It was her best chance."

With a sigh, Shane stepped behind Rick and nodded. "Sounds like he didn't have a choice, Carol."

But the mother shook her head. "How was she supposed to find her way back on her own?" She demanded, voice wavering as she murmured, "She's just a child. She's just a child."

"Children will surprise you." Victoria spoke up with a surprising steely tone. "They adapt quicker then the rest of us. Your daughter will find her way back to you - but she'll figure it out in the meantime."

"You don't know that." Carol hunched forward as her facade cracked. "My little girl got left in the woods." She wept, finally leaning into Lori for support. "My daughter got left in the woods."

Rick rose to his feet with a heavy swallow. With a weak nod to the rest of the group, he brushed passed Shane and ventured deep through the wreckage until he was out of sight.

The rest of the survivors dispersed as Lori and Andrea tried to console the distraught woman. Victoria lingered near the station wagon parked behind the camper, keeping the women in her eyesight just in case the apocalypse had anymore surprised for them.

Next to her, Shane leaned against the car. "What do you think?" He questioned, keeping his voice quiet.

Victoria made a non-committing sound from the back of her throat.

"You were a detective, _talk to me_ \- what're you thinking right now?"

"I'm thinking about the fairy tail ending this won't have." Victoria felt guilty for saying it as she watched Carol sob. She rubbed her temples, feeling a headache throb behind her eyes. "Look, man, the first seventy-two hours are the most important but that doesn't mean shit anymore. Christ, five minutes doesn't mean anything anymore. Either we find Sophia tomorrow, or we accept the fact that we won't."

Shane carded a hand through his hair. "I know. I know you're right." He grumbled. "This was the last thing we needed right now."

"Out of the frying pan, and all that."

Shane made a sound of agreement before shuffling closer, crossing his arms over his chest. "Look, you gotta give me that gun."

Victoria's hand shot up to the pearl grip. "Absolutely not, man."

"It just ain't gonna look good if you have yours and they don't."

"Dude, I'm the most qualified person here."

"I'll keep it on me. It won't even leave your sight, you have my word."

She smacked her lips, there was no way she was even thinking about giving up her pistol. It left her completely defenseless, open to becoming a happy meal.

"I can't - I _won't_ give you my gun. You're not gonna be with me all the time, Shane. I need a weapon."

"You can take one of the blades. Let me tell you something, my word means a lot to me. I need you on my side, Victoria. I got your back."

Victoria started to pull the pistol from the holster. "It doesn't leave your right."

"I got it."

"And the moment we're in danger, I want it back - even if I have the knife."

"Okay."

Victoria begrudgingly pulled out her gun and placed the pistol in Shane's palm. "Fine. I'm on your side."

As he sagged with relief, breathing a quiet _thank you_ , Victoria's stomach flipped - she had a feeling she was going to regret that promise.


End file.
